The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-04-16
nusBANDRY AND HOUSEwIFERY.
Matters Of Interest Relating
to Farm and Household
Management.
Information for the PloWman, Stock.
man, Poulterer, Nurseryman,
and Housewife.
The Growth Of Corn Roots

corn naturally run only few inches below
the surface, seeking warmth and only such
moisture as is brought by frequent light
rains. This indicates that manure FOR
corn should be put on or near the surface,
and that cultivation, especially late In the
season, should be shallow. Corn roots
extend horizontally as far as the height OF
their stalk, and usually run over into ad-
joining rows before cultivation ceases.
Eoad Fences.
Wherever roadway fences are required
by law they should be good ones. In fact,
whether the law does or does not require
that owners Of stock should fence against
animals on the highway, good fences
should be kept up against stray cattle.
Losses that will never be repaid will more
than offset interest and repairs, especially
on q much-traveled road. In byways
where there is little travel, fences along
the roadside may often be entirely dis
pensed with, or a line Of fruit trees be set
just at the edge of the road, and wires,
either barbed or plain. fastened to the
trees as protection against passing stock.
Loss of Hay ia Stacks.
In q bulletin recently issued by the
Missouri Agricultural College, Prof. San
born says: Against my conviction that
stacking hay is not an economical method
of preserving it, l am forced to stack it in
the open air, according to the prevailing
practice. Hay continues, in the dry as
well as in the green state. matter that Is
soluble in water. For this reason all ex-
posed hay ON the exterior of stacks is sub
ject to having washed from it such soluble
matter. In round stacks the amount of
hay thus exposed is much larger than is
usually supposed. A body one foot in
diameter contains only one-fourth the
matter that o body two feet in diameter
does. Thus six inches from the circum-
ference toward the center will contain four
times as much matter as the central part
of a round body two feet in diameter will
contain. 4 stack of hay twelve feet in
diameter and six feet to the point of its
drawing in and five feet more to the top of
its cone, will contain on lis outside foot, at
$50 feet to the ton, 2S7.57 pounds Of hay,
while the interior will contain 5S0.49
pounds. Thus 33 per cent. of the hay of
the ordinary round stacks of the State is
found on the outside foot of those stacks.
A heavy proportion of this food is OBJ
viously subject to loss by teaching rains,
by molding and actual rotting in badly
constructed stacks. 1t was said by one
who handled hay during last year that one
half of the hay of his county was SO dam
aBeu MS " pe virtually holtuiceS. august
8, 1884, l put up a WELL made stack of
second-crop clover. II was in good style
to shed rain and capped with other ma
terial. 1t was built over -aiis laid down as
a foundation, and all done up in about the
usual style, save that it was perhaps a little
below the ordinary size. Notwithstanding
this fact, it was not injured internally by
water, as We often see in poorly made
stacks. 1t weighed August 9, on stacking,
6,514 pounds. 1t was tested for water
content by the water bath, and found to
contain 1925 per cent. of water. March 3
it was again all weighed with much care to
prevent loss of hay in handling. It's
weight was 4, 54S pounds. At this time it
contained 1914 per cent. of water. The
change in water contents quite noticeable,
and places us, as was anticipated, under
the necessity of ascertaining the dry matter
of the hay, both in the fall and in the
spring: 6,5l5 pounds less 1875 per cent.
water is 4,397 pounds fall weight of dry
matter; 4,54S pounds less 1914 per cent.
water is 3,sl4 pounds Spring weight Of dry
natter. Loss of organic matter until
March %, 583 pounds. Per cent. loss for
seven and one half months, 1872.